Guitar Man

I had intended to Blip a sculpture on the banks of the Clyde. As I walked along there were a couple of girls doing a shoot of a model, I am assuming for a college course. I settled myself to shoot the sculpture I saw a young lad leaning on the railings, cigarette burning in his hand and staring aimlessly out over the river.

I waited for the traffic to clear behind the sculpture and as I did I was suddenly conscious that the someone was standing at my shoulder, I turned and it was the young lad, he looked tired, lost and had a sadness in his eyes. He was quiet and seemed almost frightened, he asked me what I was doing and I told him about Blip and that I was looking for a shot for today, he was interested in the sculpture as I explained a bit about it to him. He listened intently and was genuinely interested, I asked him if he was ok as if I am honest I wondered if he was actually going to jump into the river. He replied that he had had problems at his job yesterday and had been summonsed today, he seemed resigned to the fact that his employers were going to fire him.

Sometimes it is easier to talk to a stranger we sat for a few minutes, not talking about his work woes just about his hopes and dreams, all of a sudden he stood up and said he was going to go to his employer, head held high and resign, he was a musician, a guitarist and was going to return to that and give it a proper go, with that he pulled his beanie down over his ears wished me luck with my photography and headed off for his soon to be former employer.

As I headed back to the office I heard the strains of one of my favourite street entertainers wafting down the street, my mind returned to my encounter with the young lad. I stopped to watch this guy for a few songs , he was standing in a shop front that gave him such a grand set on which to perform. I had not had the heart to ask the young lad if I could Blip him although with his beanie and the starts of beard he would have made a beautiful monochrome portrait. I nodded to this guitar man and threw some change in his case and headed off.

They say you should do something each day thats scares you, playing guitar and singing in a Glasgow street will do just that, I did it a lifetime ago and I have the highest regard for their courage, ambition and talent, they are often brilliant and serve their dues on the hardest stage of all... stay a while, listen to them spare some change or just a smile, how sad it would be if these musicians were not there to brighten our days